Jcc Denies Request For Toano Townhouses

JAMES CITY — Supervisors approved design guidelines for community in February.

James City County supervisors said no Tuesday to 91 townhouses on 21 acres off of Forge Road, saying that the design and scale of the buildings didn't match the village of Toano's small-town layout.

They voted 4-1 to deny a rezoning request from WRM Enterprises for a proposed development called "Village at Toano." It was the first time supervisors used new design guidelines for Toano -- approved by the Board of Supervisors in February -- to justify denying a rezoning request.

The design guidelines stress buildings that are similar in shape and size to Toano's historic buildings. Planning Commissioners and county staff said those guidelines weren't met. Jamestown District Supervisor John McGlennon also said the $325,000 to $350,000 price of the townhouses -- with four units priced at $175,000 as affordable housing -- didn't count as mixed-income housing.

Stonehouse District Supervisor Andy Bradshaw cast the only vote for the project, saying he feared that the design guidelines may put unreasonable constraints on landowners looking to sell their land. *